Warhammer 40,000 Battle Report #14 – Space Marines vs Space Wolves

After years of virtually no Space Marine players in the area, they are suddenly crawling out of the woodwork! In this episode, we have another power armor vs power armor clash, with the Relictors taking on the Space Wolves!

We’re also dusting off the Maelstrom of War missions to give them another chance. One attempt wasn’t enough to learn the approach’s nuances, and today we will give it a second outing.

The Armies

Relictors 2^nd Company

Space Marines – 2,000

Combined Arms Detachment

HQ

Chapter Master Surat: WARLORD (The Imperium’s Sword); Terminator Armor, Thunder            Hammer, The Shield Eternal

ELITES

Assault Terminators: 5x Thunder Hammer and Stormshield

Dreadnought: Multi-Melta, Power Fist with Heavy Flamer, Drop Pod transport with Deathwind Missile Launcher

TROOPS

Tactical Squad: 5x additional Space Marines; Multi-Melta, Meltagun, Combi-Melta, Drop Pod     transport with Deathwind Missile Launcher

Tactical Squad: 5x additional Space Marines; Plasma Cannon, Plasma Gun, Combi-Plasma

Tactical Squad: Plasma Gun, Razorback transport with Lascannon and Twin Plasma Guns

Tactical Squad: Plasma Gun, Razorback transport with Lascannon and Twin Plasma Guns

FAST ATTACK

Assault Squad: 5x additional Space Marines; 2x Flamers, Drop Pod transport with Deathwind 0   Missile Launcher

Land Speeder: 2x Heavy Bolter

Land Speeder: 2x Heavy Bolter

HEAVY SUPPORT

Devastator Centurions: Twin Lascannons and Missile Launchers, Sergeant has Omniscope

Whirlwind

Vlka Fenryka

Space Wolves – 2,000

Champions of Fenris Detachment

LORD OF WAR

Logan Grimnar: WARLORD (Saga of Majesty)

HQ

Bjorn the Fell-Handed: Helfrost Cannon, Drop Pod transport with Deathwind Missile Launcher

ELITES

Wolf Guard Terminators: 1x additional Terminator; 2x Thunder Hammer and Stormshield, 2x      Two Wolf Claws

Dreadnought: Venerable; Multi-Melta, Great Wolf Claw with Heavy Flamer, Drop Pod transport             with Deathwind Missile Launcher

FAST ATTACK

Drop Pod: Deathwind Missile Launcher

Combined Arms Detachment

HQ

Ulrik the Slayer

TROOPS

Grey Hunters: 5x additional Grey Hunters; 2x Meltaguns, Wolf Guard Leader with Combi-Melta            and Power Fist, Drop Pod transport with Deathwind Missile Launcher

Grey Hunters: 5x additional Grey Hunters; 2x Meltaguns, Wolf Guard Leader with Combi-Melta            and Power Fist, Drop Pod transport with Deathwind Missile Launcher

Blood Claws: 5x additional Blood Claws; Flamer, Power Axe, Drop Pod transport with    Deathwind Missile Launcher

Blood Claws: 4x additional Blood Claws; Flamer, Power Maul, Wolf Guard Leader with Two     Wolf Claws, Drop Pod transport with Deathwind Missile Launcher

After Action Review

That initial Drop Pod assault was brutal. The Space Marines couldn’t make an armor save at all, and everything that missed became a hit on the reroll thanks to Ulrik the Slayer.

Ulrik still impresses me as a solid choice for his cheap points cost and area-effecting special rules. He doesn’t do a lot in hand to hand, but he augments the damages of everyone around him. To me, this is worth more than a handful of killy close combat dice.

We both had initial misgivings about Maelstrom of War cards after our first game, but this game seemed much closer. The cards gave us both chances to score points, and we had to work to make it happen. Our armies still had to engage, but we were also forced to play laterally to score the points. All told, I was able to score enough points to pull out the victory, but it could have easily gone either way.

I’m planning to go away from the Drop Pod approach for a few games and focus instead on other elements of the Space Wolves book. I have a lot of units to try out before I can make final decisions on what I think is best overall. Stay tuned as we play through these games, there’s a lot of distance to cover!